With the cover parody of the Original Rat Pack, beaming on the program from the 62nd edition cover from “Scorebook” and the lights shining with a little dim at the New York Midtown Hilton, the greats of the game spoke and reflected a lot on this past 2024 Major League Baseball season at the 100th annual New York Chapter Baseball Writers Association of America on Saturday, January 25.
“It’s always a thrill especially this year, how many dinners have been around for a hundred years? For those who aren’t familiar with the history of this dinner and anybody from Hall of Famers and executives have come to this dinner with the great tradition this event and the BBWAA put on year-in and year-out,” Sports Illustrated Writer and Fox Sports/MLB Network Analyst Tom Verducci told World Baseball Network on Saturday night.
The World Baseball Network was proud to support the BBWAA and its mission. Our entire executive staff consisting of Lou Bernardi, Chris Vaccaro, Leif Skodnick, Joseph O’Fallon, Matt Marsh and Ara Chekmayan were in attendance to celebrate the 100th anniversary of this great organization.
The history magnifies so many legends that have attended the NYCBBWAA Annual Dinner over the years, from the greats of Willie Mays, Joe DiMaggio, alongside so many other figures of the sport and passionate celebrity baseball fans that tailed a few words from the Dais podium in years past.
“Every year and especially if you have a ticket at this event, you will not see a greater collection of baseball royalty in one place, other than at Induction weekend in Cooperstown, and when you understand that this game is in great hands for fans being at this event is also a dream come true,” Verducci acknowledged to WBN about what it means to be at the NYCBBWAA event from every angle as a fan and working in the sport.
The “Back to the Farm Dinner” which was held on November 14th, 1922 at the Elks Club in Manhattan, gave the event an outlook with single exposure to individuals to attend such as newspaper writers, players and executives to conclude the pre-era of the NYCBBWAA dinner, featuring Babe Ruth, or the ‘Great Bambino,” below.
The history of the NYCBBWAA dinner is located on: https://www.nybbwaa.com/new-york-dinner-history.
The first NYCBBWAA dinner was on January 27, 1924, at the old Hotel Commodore adjacent to Grand Central Terminal, which occurred to a single event with any BBWAA Chapter.
Fast Forward to the 100th Annual NYCBBWAA Dinner:
The 100th NYCBBWAA Annual Dinner was streamed live for the first time on Foul Territory’s YouTube page with hosts Scott Braun, A.J. Pierzynski, Erik Kratz, and special guest Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and also many Japanese media outlets magnified for their unsung hero, Shohei Ohtani to be shown through other outlet services on Saturday night.
Barry Bonds, Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy, Tarik Skubal, Chris Sale, Sean Manaea, A.J. Hinch and Paul Skenes talked on Foul Territory during their live streaming of the NYCBBWAA event and discussed about the future of the game and what angles lies ahead for the MLB outside of their past success in their careers.
All the 2024 season MLB Award winners, Luis Gil of the American League Rookie of the Year, Paul Skenes of the National League Rookie of the Year, AL Manager of the Year Award Winner Cleveland Guardians skipper Stephen Vogt, NL Manager of the Year Award Winner Milwaukee Brewers Pat Murphy, AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, and NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale, spoke on the Dais podium about how much this past year meant to all their accomplishments and the upbringings for their love of the game.
2024 National League MVP, Shohei Ohtani spoke through the monitor on what it meant to accomplish his historic 50/50 season and the wildfires that have had a huge impact in Los Angeles.
“This year was a very special year in so many ways.”
Shohei Ohtani accepts the 2024 NL MVP Award! pic.twitter.com/OfQnYNubHU
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 26, 2025
Verducci also talked to WBN about what it means for Ohtani in the game after coming off his 50/50 season, “He’s such a special player and I’m in awe of him and I hope people don’t get used to all these tremendous achievements that he is able to do. I’m looking forward to seeing him back on the mound for 2025. He’s just been a great ambassador for the game of baseball and he really is just a once and a lifetime player”.
The American League MVP, Aaron Judge, was also not in attendance on Saturday night due to his wife Samantha, expecting their first child and spoke briefly virtually on his support from the 2024 season.
Longtime professional umpire, author, and promoter of women in baseball, Perry Barber shared that New York native actor Tracy Morgan spoke on behalf of Judge who was not in attendance on Saturday night.
A Tracy Morgan sighting at the 100th @NYBBWAA dinner in New York!
He talked about growing up a few blocks from Yankee Stadium and spoke glowingly of his friend Aaron Judge, who was busy having a baby but was pleased to accept his 2024 AL MVP award over the internet via Tracy. pic.twitter.com/bumF3DMony
— Perry Barber (@perrybarber) January 26, 2025
The NYCBBWAA awards are yearly given to the listed accomplishment and names from the Joe DiMaggio “Toast of the Town” Award, William J. Slocum / Jack Lang Award for “Long & Meritorious Service”, the Arthur & Milton Richman “You Gotta Have Heart” Award the“Willie, Mickey, & The Duke” Award, the Ben Epstein – Dan Castellano “Good Guy” Award, the Babe Ruth Award for the “Postseason MVP”, the Joan Payson / Shannon Forde Award for “Community Service”, the Casey Stengel“ You Could Look It Up” Award, and the Sid Mercer / Dick Young “New York Player of the Year” Award winners yearly.: https://www.nybbwaa.com/annual-awards
The 2024 NYCBBWAA Awards winners from the listed categories were: Joe DiMaggio “Toast of the Town”: New York Mets, Sid Mercer/Dick Young “New York Player of the Year”: Aaron Judge, Joan Payson/Shannon Forde “Community Service”: Oswaldo Cabrera, Babe Ruth “Postseason MVP”: Mookie Betts, Willie, Mickey & The Duke: Don Mattingly & Dave Winfield, Casey Stengel, “You Can Look It Up”: Pat Kelly, William Slocum/Jack Lang “Long & Meritorious Service”: John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman, Arthur and Milton Richman “You Gotta Have Heart”: Freddie Freeman and family, and Ben Epstein/Dan Castellano “Good Guy”: Sean Manaea and are listed on https://www.nybbwaa.com/ .
National Baseball Hall of Fame President Josh Rawitch, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone, New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, Dave Winfield, David Cone, Mike Pagliarulo, and Corey Kluber were also in attendance on Saturday night at the Dais podium.
The listed content from the Foul Territory coverage from the NYCBBWAA 100th Annual Dinner also had snippets of the speeches from all the winners on January 25:
Stephen Vogt – 2024 AL Manager of the Year Award Winner:
Stephen Vogt accepts the 2024 AL Manager of the Year Award! pic.twitter.com/SBdZN2EYsJ
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 26, 2025
Pat Murphy – 2024 NL Manager of the Year Award Winner:
“What a privilege it is to be a Major League manager.”
Pat Murphy accepts the 2024 NL Manager of the Year Award! pic.twitter.com/t8uqsbv7xT
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 26, 2025
Luis Gil – 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Award:
Luis Gil accepts the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Award! pic.twitter.com/zF7XdHFjuj
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 26, 2025
Paul Skenes – 2024 NL Rookie of the Year Award:
“It is my goal and intention to make voting very easy for you in the coming years.”
Paul Skenes accepts the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year Award! pic.twitter.com/RzS9rhkhTE
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 26, 2025
Tarik Skubal – 2024 AL Cy Young Award Winner:
Tarik Skubal accepts the 2024 AL Cy Young Award! pic.twitter.com/TsyJYo9mJg
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 26, 2025
Chris Sale – 2024 NL Cy Young Award Winner:
Chris Sale accepts the 2024 NL Cy Young Award! pic.twitter.com/Rb7Rhmy1Fe
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 26, 2025
John Sterling accepts the Long & Meritorious Award:
John Sterling accepts the Long & Meritorious Award! pic.twitter.com/QiSJ1x4VgL
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 26, 2025
The “OMG” Mets accept the 2024 Toast of the Town Award:
The “OMG” Mets accept the 2024 Toast of the Town Award! pic.twitter.com/gin2um65sQ
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 26, 2025
The Executive Board that were listed for the 100th Annual NYCBBWAA event were, Chapter Chairman Tim Healey, Chapter Vice Chair Stephanie Apstein, and Dinner Director Kevin Swarthout.
The Board of Directors that were assigned for the 100th Annual NYCBBWAA Dinner were Chapter Treasurer Mike Puma, Kevin Davidoff, Anthony DiComo, Mark Feinsand, Bryan Hoch, and Deesha Thosar.
The finishing touch in Midtown Manhattan on Saturday night was when Barry Bonds paid his tribute to his god-father, Hall-of-Famer Willie Mays, and spoke about his testament of what it meant to have the “Say Hey Kid” pave the way for his career.
In memoriam of the legends baseball lost in 2024 with and early 2025 with Tommy Brown, Bobby Cuellar, Felix Mantilla, Brian Matusz, Jeff Torborg, Bob Uecker, and Bob Veale, the NYCBBWAA event will always bestow and carry from the legends of the past and the upcoming greats that will soon make their mark to build in the game for years to come.
